💀 Dying Every Day
Dying Every Day (Stoicism in a Year) is a podcast by the Perennial Leader Project. Each episode turns a selected passage from Stoic philosophy into a guided meditation designed to help you (and me) learn how to live.
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Seneca on the battle against vice
Welcome to another episode of Dying Every Day (Stoicism in a Year). We’ve reached Day 70, and we’re returning to Seneca for insights on battling our vices.
In a letter to his friend Lucilius, Seneca wrote,
We human beings are fettered and weakened by many vices; we have wallowed in them for a long time and it is hard for us to be cleansed. We are not merely defiled; we are dyed by them. But, to refrain from passing from one figure to another, I will raise this question, which I often consider in my own heart: why is it that folly holds us with such an insistent grasp? It is, primarily, because we do not combat it strongly enough, because we do not struggle towards salvation with all our might; secondly, because we do not put sufficient trust in the discoveries of the wise, and do not drink in their words with open hearts; we approach this great problem in too trifling a spirit.
+Adapted from On Pleasure and Joy
Battling against our vices is not a topic you see often. But it should be. What is more noble than honestly and courageously admitting falling short of virtue and working to do better in the future?
Stoicism asks us to focus on progress over perfection. Perfectionism, as we spoke about on Day 64, stands in the way of progress. It’s important to remember that there is always work to be done regarding one’s character.
As Seneca put it,
What hinders us most of all is that we are too readily satisfied with ourselves; if we meet with someone who calls us good men, or sensible men, or holy men, we see ourselves in his description, not content with praise in moderation, we accept everything that shameless flattery heaps upon us, as if it were our due. … Thus, it follows that we are unwilling to be reformed just because we believe ourselves to be the best of men.
Reflection Prompt
Consider reflecting (or journaling) on what it means to battle against one’s vices. You could ask yourself, “How can I be a friend to myself, as Seneca advised, and avoid being ‘too readily satisfied’ with my conduct?” You might also contemplate the question posed to Lucilius by Seneca, “Why is it that folly holds us with such an insistent grasp?”
Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube
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Thank you for reading/listening; I hope you found something useful.
Until next time, be wise and be well,
J.W.
P.S. I greatly appreciate your time, attention, and support!